Thoughts on towing this trailer?

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JExpedition07

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Those EcoBoost transits aren’t the best towing rigs, in fact I’m going to bet 12,000 LBS is well over its capacity Hab. I think you had her overdoing it. 12,000 is close to F-250 territory, the F-250 has 6.2L V8, HD 6R transmission, huge radiator, PS cooler, Aux trans cooler, and solid axles, I don’t think the transit has any of the above. Don’t forget the giant brakes.
 
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Habbibie

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Those EcoBoost transits aren’t the best towing rigs, in fact I’m going to bet 12,000 LBS is well over its capacity Hab. I think you had her overdoing it. 12,000 is close to F-250 territory, the F-250 has 6.2L V8, HD 6R transmission, huge radiator, PS cooler, Aux trans cooler, and solid axles, I don’t think the transit has any of the above. Don’t forget the giant brakes.

You know I'm not gonna doubt you on that, also I thought the F250 was in the ball park of 16k lbs... but I'll look into the tow rating on the van it was struggling to pull that trailer and it made known it was struggling
 

Jon 15el

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We just purchased this trailer. 6100 dry 7500 loaded. Took it on a 300 mile trip. The expedition had all the power we needed and was fairly stable. My only dislike about the trip was the rear end squat and bounce. We ordered super springs sumo helpers this week, if I get them in befor the weekend, I'll let you know if they made an improvement.

20180830_165915_1535673601881_1535673846778.jpeg
 

Adieu

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Edit: owner states he towed it with a Tahoe (2014) just fine. That makes no sense as that has max towing of around 5500lbs (IIRC).

Sure it makes sense. Tow ratings are understated.

ALL ratings are understated. For example, does the idea of loading up all 8 seats with grown 200-300lb males and throwing a few luggages or golf clubs in the trunk make you fearful for the outcome? Prolly never give it a second thought, despite possibly exceeding occupant and cargo rating by a factor of 2x

Doesn't mean it is safe or reasonable to do so at all speeds, in all weather, and on any ol road, but any modern American truck can budge some serious 5-digit weight.
 

johnboneske

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I have a 2018 w/ tow package.

Specs on trailer:

2016 Pacific Coachworks Ragen 25FBX
Length 29 ft 7 in (31' total)
Hitch Weight 860 lbs
Gross Weight 9990 lbs
Dry Weight 6180 lbs
Cargo Weight 4720 lbs

https://www.rvingplanet.com/product/new-2016-pacific-coachworks-ragen-25fbx-387246-28

I won't be hauling anything heavy in it, just a lot of gear etc. So, with food/water/etc I will be well under 9k LBS tow rating.

Will be using WDH, of course.

Just curious what you guys think about towing close to the limit like this. Thoughts? Too ambitious?

have to ask why are you towing with the fresh water tanks full unless you are boondocking? All campgrounds have fresh water available when you pull in...
 
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8131full

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have to ask why are you towing with the fresh water tanks full unless you are boondocking? All campgrounds have fresh water available when you pull in...

yes, spot we go to is remote location on lake mohave. Nothing there except wind.
 

JExpedition07

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You know I'm not gonna doubt you on that, also I thought the F250 was in the ball park of 16k lbs... but I'll look into the tow rating on the van it was struggling to pull that trailer and it made known it was struggling

From Google, looking at Fords trailer tow guide, max towing with ideal wheelbase and axle ratio is around 7,000 LBS, most are 5-6,000 LBS. https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_Transit_Sep7.pdf

Here in contrast is Fords 2005 towing guide, your 05 expy is rated up to 8,900 LBS. It’s all in the chassis.
 
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Habbibie

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From Google, looking at Fords trailer tow guide, max towing with ideal wheelbase and axle ratio is around 7,000 LBS, most are 5-6,000 LBS. https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_Transit_Sep7.pdf

Here in contrast is Fords 2005 towing guide, your 05 expy is rated up to 8,900 LBS. It’s all in the chassis.

Yea I know about the 7000 lbs towing capacity of the van from dealer, but I also do know the owner of my company buys the Van's new then has them fitted with 4.10:1 gears, installs stiffer rear springs, bigger brakes and a huge transmission cooler, then to top it all off he installs a tow tune to it before he badges his company logo on the side of it.

I'm waiting on a response from him as to if he knows how much are the EcoBoost transit Van's in his fleet are truly capable of towing ( he only has two with EcoBoost the rest are powerstroke diesel)
 

Geargambler

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I'm going to chime in here (my first post after lurking forever!). We towed with our 2012 expedition limited (just traded it in for a 2017 limited) a 24 ft enclosed trailer loaded with an 03 cobra to Mustang Week (PA to SC and back). We calculated that the load was about 8100 lbs (3990 trailer, 3780 Cobra, + Luggage, tools, spare, etc). I was able to borrow my friends tongue weight scale to make sure the load was level. This is a very handy tool to have!

Tongue weight ratings -550 dry
with weight distribution - 1300
Rule of thumb - 10-15% of total weight on the tongue (810 min, 1215 max).

We landed on 910 lbs and it towed very nicely. This process was iterative - we had to shift things around, move the car forward / back to get the weight where we wanted it.

Too heavy on the tongue leads to too much squat / can be very bouncy. Too light is just dangerous.

TLDR; Weight the tongue and shift the load for a nice smooth towing experience).
 
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